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Big Left
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Life is real. Business is real life. And b******t advice doesn’t apply. This is a business podcast that actually goes there—into growth, leadership, risk, and the parts no one wants to talk about without dressing it up in artificial, polished nonsense. Hosted by James Ellis, owner of Big Left—armed with more degrees than ABCs and a level of experience we’d die of old age trying to list—and Tabitha Starr, owner of Slight Look, MBA (currently residing on the floor of her closet), and proud former member of the dark side of business. This is a business podcast like no other. Leaders and entrepreneurs—gird your loins.

Episodes

  1. 2D AGO

    Client Red Flags & Knowing When to Run

    And here's a tighter, friendlier description with more search-friendly language around entrepreneurs, boundaries, difficult clients, consulting, freelancing, and scope creep: Some clients are dream projects. Others show up waving red flags like they’re competing in the Olympics. In this episode, James and Tabitha swap unbelievable client stories and unpack the warning signs every entrepreneur, freelancer, and consultant needs to recognize before a project turns into a full-blown disaster. From scope creep and impossible expectations to boundary pushing, AI-generated nonsense, and clients looking for magic instead of strategy, they cover the patterns that can drain your energy fast. This conversation dives into difficult clients, trusting your gut, spotting burnout before it hits, and knowing when it’s time to gracefully walk away. Because protecting your time, boundaries, and sanity isn’t being difficult—it’s good business. Follow James on Instagram – Big Left Consulting and explore Big Left Follow Tabitha on Instagram – Slight Look Official and visit Slight Look

    23 min

  2. MAY 12

    How to Actually Build Your Strategic Roadmap

    Everyone has a plan until life asks you to write it down. In this episode, James Ellis and Tabitha Starr actually walk you through it, the real steps to building a strategic roadmap that works. And works for LIFE and WORK.  Keywords, frameworks, where AI fits in, and why most people skip the most important part before they even start. They also get into something nobody talks about enough, we might be the most therapized generation in history. We have read every book, listened to every podcast, consumed every framework. And somehow still don't have a plan… This one fixes that. What We Cover  ✦ The actual steps to building your strategic roadmap  ✦ The keywords that make it click ✦ How to use AI as a thinking partner (not a shortcut)  ✦ Why we know everything and plan nothing  ✦ Where most people get stuck (and how to get unstuck) And always you can follow James at https://www.instagram.com/big.left.consulting/ and visit his website at http://bigleft.com You can follow Tabitha https://www.instagram.com/slight.look.official/ and visit her website at http://slightlook.com

    1h 12m

  3. MAY 8

    Your Hourly Rate Is a Trap

    Hourly billing feels safe. It isn't. In this episode, James Ellis and Tabitha Starr get into why charging by the hour might be the thing quietly capping your income, your clients, and your sanity. Not because you're doing it wrong — but because the model itself is working against you. This one's for anyone who's ever finished a project in half the time and felt weirdly guilty about it. What We Cover ✦ Why hourly billing punishes you for being good ✦ What clients actually respond to (hint: not your hourly rate) ✦ Scope creep and how to kill it before it kills you ✦ Time-block method and why it works ✦ Pricing yourself like you mean it And always you can follow James at https://www.instagram.com/big.left.consulting/ and visit his website at bigleft.com you can follow Tabitha https://www.instagram.com/slight.look.official/ at and visit his website at slightlook.com

    56 min

  4. MAY 1

    Entrepreneurship Hurdles

    Nobody warns you about the body stuff. In this episode, James Ellis and Tabitha Starr start where most entrepreneurship conversations won't — your health, your coverage, and what happens when your physical reality crashes into your business reality. But this one goes deeper than healthcare. It's about all the stuff nobody puts in the "quit your job and follow your dreams" pitch. The broken systems. The expenses that don't care about your runway. The moments where being your own boss stops feeling like freedom and starts feeling like exposure. From waiting rooms to surprise surgeries to the creative (and sometimes desperate) ways people keep themselves afloat, James and Tabitha get into what it actually looks like when life throws the unglamorous stuff at you mid-build. Because entrepreneurship hurdles aren't always about your pitch deck. Sometimes they're just… your appendix. What We Cover ✦ Healthcare as the obstacle nobody factors in ✦ What people are actually doing to work around a broken system ✦ The real cost of freedom — beyond money ✦ When life-stuff and business-stuff collide and you have to figure it out anyway ✦ James's appendectomy. Tabitha's chaos. Real stories, no filter. Follow James @big.left.consulting Follow Tabitha @slight.look.official

    56 min

  5. APR 23

    Boundaries, Blowups, and Bad Behavior

    In this episode, James Ellis and Tabitha Starr get into what happens when people in your business start acting… a little unhinged. We’re talking clients causing drama, employees testing every boundary you’ve ever set, and those moments where leadership stops being theoretical and gets very real, very fast. This isn’t about “keeping the peace.” It’s about knowing when to manage, when to correct, and when to shut it down entirely. Because not everyone deserves access to your business, your energy, or your space. We walk through real scenarios, hard decisions, and what it actually looks like to lead when things get messy. What We Cover ✦ Clients who cross the line (and what to do next) ✦ Employees acting sideways and how to handle it without losing control of your business ✦ The difference between conflict and straight-up toxicity ✦ Maintaining a strong, values-driven environment without becoming the “cool boss” who lets everything slide ✦ When it’s time to fix it… and when it’s time to end it James Ellis https://www.instagram.com/big.left.consulting/ Tabitha Starr https://www.instagram.com/slight.look.official/

    51 min

  6. APR 16

    Why Your Prices Keep Backfiring

    Pricing sounds simple until you actually have to do it. In this episode, James Ellis and Tabitha Starr get into what pricing really touches: how you value your work, how your business is structured, and why most pricing problems aren’t actually about numbers. From building systems that support growth to understanding why your current pricing keeps attracting the wrong situations, this conversation breaks down what’s actually going on beneath the surface. Including the difference between the 50¢ wing night (IYKYK) version of your business… and the version that actually holds up when things scale. No Jims were harmed during this conversation—and yes, we support all feet pic entrepreneurs. A bit of reading for you Why Surface-Level Answers Miss the Point Follow James @big.left.consulting Follow Tabitha @slight.look.official

    1h 16m

  7. APR 10

    Sometimes You Fail

    In this conversation, James Ellis and Tabitha Starr discuss the complexities of navigating failure in business, the importance of ethical practices, and the challenges of client management. They explore the concept of redlining from a business perspective, the dangers of hustle culture, and the necessity of finding a balance between work and rest. The discussion also touches on the transition from being a founder to a business owner, the value of teamwork, and the importance of creating a sustainable business roadmap.

    41 min
  • 7 Episodes

About

Life is real. Business is real life. And b******t advice doesn’t apply. This is a business podcast that actually goes there—into growth, leadership, risk, and the parts no one wants to talk about without dressing it up in artificial, polished nonsense. Hosted by James Ellis, owner of Big Left—armed with more degrees than ABCs and a level of experience we’d die of old age trying to list—and Tabitha Starr, owner of Slight Look, MBA (currently residing on the floor of her closet), and proud former member of the dark side of business. This is a business podcast like no other. Leaders and entrepreneurs—gird your loins.

Information

  • Creator
    Big Left
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    7
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Big Left